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BLACK STUDENTS ON THE MARCH

by TYRONE CRIDER

The following are excerpts from a speech delivered at the May 17 Youth Pilgrimage for Jobs, Peace and Justice in Washington, D.C. Tyrone Crider is president of the student government, Morehouse College, Atlanta.

WE BRING YOU greetings from Morehouse College and the Atlanta University Center. We bring you greetings from the 67,000 students of the United Negro College Fund. We bring you greetings from the 400 colleges and universities of the American Student Association.

We are not here this afternoon because students hold America hostage in Iran but because Carter and Congress choose to hold students hostage in America. . . . We have come to say to Carter and Congress that your proposals do not balance a budget; they only punish the poor. . . .

We have come from Morehouse to the White House.

We have come from Spelman to the Senate.

We have come from Howard to the House.

We have come to say to the leaders of this nation:

When you consider a budget, do not cut us out, but rather count us in. When you consider a budget, do not overlook us, but rather underline us. When you consider a budget, do not subtract from and divide our allotments, but rather add to and multiply them.

This afternoon, we, as students stand strong, not only because Jesse Jackson or Walter Fauntroy or Parren Mitchell are on our side, but because God Almighty is on our side. . . .

We, the leaders from kindergarten to college, say to the leaders from Congress to Carter:

We want education and not extermination.

We want you to help us and not hurt us.

We want you to motivate us and not mistreat us.

We want you to push us and not punish us.

We want you to defend us and not defeat us.

We want you to develop us and not divide us.

We want you to count us in and not cut us out.

We want you to start more and not stop more.

For, if you overlook us now in education, we will overlook you later in election. Therefore, we will march and march and march until jobs, peace, and justice "roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream!"

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